Love for Loners: Oops!

May 6, 2011

Love for Loners is our weekly feature promoting awesome work that is currently streaming on Netflix. It is written by resident misanthrope Jon Smith.

Aww, didn’t you guys miss LFL last week? No? No one noticed? Hmm… Anyway, I got called in to help with an animation with our friends Hoodablah + Sol Linero and ended up working through the weekend. Check them out, because they are incredibly talented people. Now, let’s talk about what’s streaming right now online that isn’t complete shit.

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Mary & Max
This incredible piece of animation was recommended to me by Lyka, my PIC. It’s a beautiful work of claymation from Australia about a lonely little girl who befriends a New York hermit through letters. Throughout the film, you will laugh AND cry AND wish you could just hug them both and tell them it will all be okay. Perhaps the best part of this movie is Max’s endless supply of one-liners, my favorite being, “P.P.P.S. – Did you know that turtles can breathe out of their anuses?”

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Gigantic
Paul Dano! Zooey Deschanel! Edward Asner! John Goodman! Zach Galifianakis! When you find a movie that is chock-full of great talent that wasn’t popular upon its release, there are two possible conclusions to be drawn. The first being that the movie was so horrible they buried the film and hope no one ever talks about it. The second, which is the case for Gigantic, is that the script was a little too original, meaning the big production companies couldn’t ensure its profitability and therefore didn’t risk funding it. This left those attached to the project to find funding privately, which means they could get it made but wouldn’t have much left over to market the film upon its release. Gigantic is original and off-beat and totally worth watching at least four or five times.

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The Larry Sanders Show
The Larry Sanders Show was the first show to regularly feature actors playing fictionalized versions of themselves. It follows Larry Sanders — host of a late-night talk show and utter narcissist — and his team as they stumble through the arduous process of producing an entertainment show. This show is what put HBO at the top of the food chain, with good reason. In a sea of formulaic bullshit television, The Larry Sanders Show shone as a bright light of originality. It ran for a good six seasons, all of which are incredible. If you are a fan of Arrested Development, Extras or The Office, you need to start watching this show right the fuck now.